Five on Friday

Happy Friday! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! It was a very busy couple of days for us filled with LOTS of delicious food! It’s hard to believe that this weekend we are welcoming in a new year! Traditionally we’ve had a family game night with appetizers for dinner. This year, my daughter will be going to a friend’s house for a NYE party, so it will be just three of us. The past couple of years I don’t even make it until midnight!  Here are five from this week:

1. Christmas Eve– Christmas Eve we go to my cousin’s house in Connecticut. Her husband makes the most delicious homemade pasta which they serve with chicken parm, meatballs and sausage. I made an eggplant parm for us vegetarians. Plus, I brought the dessert platter above that included Christmas Crack, Mini Cannoli Cups and Cookie Cheesecake Bars. 

2. Christmas – We hosted Christmas Dinner for my parents, brother, my in-laws and my husband’s aunt. We made a rib roast, salmon, broccoli rabe pasta, mashed potatoes, roasted asparagus, roasted balsamic honey brussels sprouts and creamed spinach. I had our family bring dessert which included cheesecake cannoli pie, chocolate truffles and a marzipan stollen. I also made a fruit salad.  

3 . Reading – This week I finished reading The Man I Never Met by Elle Cook. I went in reading it not knowing anything about it. I was pleasantly surprised to discover it was a really good romance read.  

4. Cooking – Besides Christmas Eve and Christmas cooking, this week’s dinner included KFC “Chikn” Bowls (mashed potatoes, corn, gravy and shredded cheddar topped with “chikn” tenders. I also made Spicy Pesto Alla Vodka, Copycat Panera Cheddar Broccoli Soup and homemade pizza. 

5. Watching – It was a slower week with the kids not having all their extracurricular activities. I was able to watch a couple of episodes of Wednesday and my husband and I also watched a couple episodes of Fleishman is in Trouble. We are enjoying this very depressing show, but I have no desire to read the book.

6. Bar Cart – My parents got me this bar cart for Christmas. I’ve already filled it up and am loving it!

7. Sunrise – I’ve had to work this week. One of the benefits of driving to work had been seeing sunrises like this on my commute!

8. Social Media Loves:

 ICYMI this week on the blog: 

  Wednesday I shared New Book Releases in January 2023.

Thursday I posted January Events in Westchester County. 

Sharing with Friday Favorites!  Have a great weekend!

Happy Friday and Christmas Eve eve! It’s been a busy week of holiday celebrations and last minute gift and food shopping. After all the shopping and wrapping and prep, Christmas is finally here! Today a big storm is hitting us, with freezing rain and high winds. We were notified yesterday that our schools will dismiss early. That’s a nice holiday gift!

We are going to my cousin’s for Christmas Eve and we are hosting Christmas dinner, so it’s been a little stressful trying to plan and shop for everything. But, after two years of doing Christmas with just the four of us, it will be nice to finally celebrate again with family! I hope everyone has a very merry Christmas! Here are five from this week:

1. Hanukkah – Sunday was the first night of Hanukkah.  My husband is half Jewish. Since the kids were little we’ve always celebrated at least one night of Hanukkah with latkes and lighting the menorah.

This year we also played dreidel and enjoyed Rugelach from Homestyle Desserts in Peekskill and jelly doughnuts. You can check out my Hanukkah celebration reel.

2. Reading – This week I finally finished reading Mistletoe & Mr. Right. My reading time this week has been pretty much nonexistent! I’m hoping to finally enjoy some down time after the holidays and have a bunch of books on my TBR pile!

3. Cooking – The menu this week included Tofu Banh Mi sandwiches, Vegetable Lasagna Soup, 20 Minute Basil Chickpea Curry and pierogies with roasted broccoli.

4. Holiday Work dinner – Last Thursday a group of my work colleagues went out to dinner at Las Mananitas in Brewster. We had a White Elephant gift exchange and it was nice getting to catch up with colleagues I don’t get to see a lot during the day.

5. Cookies – I just learned that Homestyle Desserts now ships cookies! We love this local bakery and I bought our Rugelach for Hanukkah from them. They sent me some of their 4 oz. soft bake jumbo cookies to try out their new delivery service. You can see the reel here.

6. Dog Haus – We took a break from our holiday shopping with a quick dinner at Dog Haus in Mohegan Lake. This Sooo Cali with a Beyond Sausage was very good! It has wild arugula, avocado, tomato, crispy fried onions and a spicy basil aioli.

7. Memes – some memes that made me laugh this week! 

Sharing with Friday Favorites!  Have a great weekend!

Happy Friday! Is anyone else ready for the weekend?! Better yet, is everyone ready for the holidays? My daughter has been home sick all week with both the flu AND COVID this week! I am hoping we get all the sick germs out before the holidays and the rest of us stay healthy! Here are five from this week:

1. Dinner Date– Saturday night my husband and I were able to go out for a quick dinner date before we did some holiday shopping. We visited Whiskey River in Peekskill for the first time. I love how all the holiday decorations! You can see my Instagram reel to see more of the restaurant and what we ate!

2. Reading – This week I didn’t finish reading anything but I am almost done with Mistletoe and Mr. Right. This is the second in the Moose Springs, Alaska series and is an enjoyable read.

3. Cooking – The menu this week included Roasted Cauliflower Burrito Bowls, a very adapted version of these Coconut Curry Ramen Noodles, Cheesy Weeknight Tortellini Skillet and Grilled Cheese and ramen. 

4. First Snow – Last Sunday we got our first real snowfall of the season. I love how beautiful the snow looks on the branches! Unfortunately, based on the timing there were no school delays on Monday!
 

5. Watching – this week I watched The Noel Diary which was an okay movie (Netflix). My husband and I just started watching Fleishman is in Trouble on Hulu. It has a great cast, but is not a light, happy show. We are also continuing to watch Somebody Feed Phil (Netflix), which does fit the light and happy category!

6. Meme: I’m not a big drinker, but the present wrapping struggle is real!

7. Guilty Eats posts – Here are links to some of my recent Guilty Eats posts.

Chef George Duran shares Easy Hanukkah Recipes

Holiday Triscuits? Only 60 winners will get to try them!

Manischewitz Treats to Help you Celebrate Chanukah

Heritage Kulfi Makes Ice Cream with South Asian Flavors

A Shaker & Spoon Subscription is Perfect for Cocktail Lovers

Try the New Compartes 818 Tequila-infused Chocolate Bar

Sharing with Friday Favorites!  Have a great weekend!

Hello Friday! I am so ready for the weekend! There are so many illnesses going around and my son wasn’t feeling great yesterday afternoon, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed that he’s not getting sick! Here are five from this week:

1. LUMAGICA– Sunday night we were hosted at LUMAGICA: An Enchanted Forest. It was such a beautiful, holiday lights experience that we got to enjoy as a family.

2. Reading – This week I finished reading All I Want for Christmas by Maggie Knox. It was an okay holiday romance read.

3. Cooking – The menu this week included Spicy Peanut Tofu Bowls, Farmers Market Enchiladas with Mexican Rice, Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato and Spinach Ravioli and Breakfast Hash. 

4. Cheesecake Factory – Saturday we took a family trip to the Palisades Center Mall. My daughter needed a dress for a Sweet Sixteen Party that she’s going to this weekend. Windsor has affordable special occasion dresses for teens. While we were there we enjoyed an early dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. We were so stuffed that we brought home a piece of Mango Key Lime Cheesecake to share. It was really good and we discovered in the future we will need at least two pieces of cheesecake!

5. Gong Cha – Gong Cha recently opened at the Palisades Center Mall. My kids love bubble tea so they picked out a Mango slushee with popping mango bubbles to share. I had a sip and it was really good! 

6. Bath & Body Works Candle – I recently bought this Fresh Balsam candle from Bath & Body Works. This smells just like a fresh cut Christmas tree! 

 ICYMI this week ok the blog: 

  Tuesday I posted about LUMAGICA: An Echanted Forest.

Sharing with Friday Favorites!  Have a great weekend!

Happy Friday! I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving!! We celebrated the holiday at my sister’s in Maryland AND we celebrated my niece’s 10th birthday, which also happened to be on Thanksgiving this year. Here are five from this week:

1. Christmas Cactus – It’s Christmas cactus season! I’ve had this one for years now and have somehow managed to keep it alive. It’s blooming season and I’m loving it! We just picked up a smaller one for my husband’s home office.  

2. Reading – This week I finished reading Once Upon a December by Amy E. Reichert. It was a cute holiday read. I also finished Don’t Wait Up by Liz Astrof, a non-fiction parenting memoir and The Holiday Trap by Roan Parrish. 

3. Cooking – The menu from the past two weeks included Falafel Spiced Flatbreads,  Baked Spaghetti Pie (using Trader Joes beefless crumbles) with Caesar Salad and Italian bread, Tortellini Soup, Eggplant Parm with pasta, Red Lentil Curry, Breakfast Burritos, Crunchy Roll Bowls and Chik’n tenders with mashed potatoes and roasted broccoli. 

4. – Ipsy Bag – I get an Ipsy bag every other month. It’s a low-cost, fun surprise. This month’s Ipsy bag included lots of skincare products, which are my fave. 

5. Birthday Celebration – My husband’s birthday was two weeks ago. He and I went out to brunch at Hudson Hils in Cold Spring. Then later that night the whole family went out for dinner to Jewel of Himalaya in Yorktown Heights. You can check out this Instagram reel to see the delicious food we ate!

6. Christmas Countdown– Last Saturday we ordered our Christmas cards and put up the tree. Sadly, I haven’t taken a picture of the tree yet! Hopefully, this weekend we will get the outdoor lights up and the cards prepped to send out.

 ICYMI this week ok the blog: 

  Last Tuesday I shared the Hudson Valley Holiday Events Guide.

Sharing with Friday Favorites!  Have a great weekend!

Happy Friday! It’s crazy that Thanksgiving is next week! However, before we get to Thanksgiving we get to celebrate my husband’s birthday on Saturday. After a day filled with work/activities for the kids, we are going to hopefully get to enjoy a rare family dinner out to celebrate him. Here are five from this week:

1. Blackjack Update – A new pic of Blackjack. He’s now 6 months old. He likes to get the two older cats all riled up. He loves to eat. He doesn’t enjoy cuddling or being held (which makes me sad). He’s lucky he’s cute! Because he looks like a mini version of our older black cat, Salem, we’ve been calling him “Baby” way more than we’ve been calling him “Blackjack.”

2. Reading – It’s holiday reading season! I made this Instagram reel showcasing my Holiday to-be-read pile. This week I finished reading Meet Me Under the Mistletoe by Jenny Bayliss. It was a cute holiday read. I also finished reading The Santa Suit by Mary Kay Andrews which I enjoyed as well.

3. Cooking – This week’s menu included Sesame Apricot Tofu with rice and roasted broccoli, veggie burgers and fries, pierogies and roasted green beans and Gigi Hadid TikTok pasta with Caesar salad.

4. Watching – I watched another Christmas movie, Falling For Christmas (Netflix) which was a cute movie with Lindsay Lohan and Chord Overstreet (who I recognized from Glee). I also watched Christmas on Repeat (Hulu) and do not recommend. It was like Groundhog’s Day but Christmas themed, where a woman has to relive Christmas day over and over until she gets it right.

5. HVRW Lunch Date – Nov. 7-Nov. 20 is Hudson Valley Restaurant Week. My husband and I were able to have a lunch date at Restaurant X in Congers. This Peter Kelly’s Rockland County restaurant. Overall, we thought the meal was just okay. However, we’ve been to his Yonkers restaurant X2O and really enjoyed that meal.

6. Defensive Driving – Last Saturday we spent most of the day in a defensive driving class. We are doing anything and everything to lower our car insurance bill after seeing the shocking price increase when we added our teen daughter to our insurance plan.

7. Internet Faves this week

 A reminder for the upcoming holiday season.

And this! It’s definitely how I feel, but unfortunately, I do have to go back out to drive/pick up the kids from work and extracurricular activities.

Sharing with Friday Favorites!  Have a great weekend!

Happy Friday and Happy Veteran’s Day! I am happy to have today off from work. With daylight savings we got an extra hour of sleep, but somehow I was dragging this week! I am very grateful for this three day weekend! Here are five from this week:

1. Baking – This week I made a S’mores Cobbler. I love all things s’mores! This was chocolatey and rich.

2. Reading – This week I finished It Starts With Us by Colleen Hoover. I loved It Ends With Us but I read it so long ago that I didn’t remember much of it. It Starts With Us was good, but I didn’t love it.

3. Cooking – This week’s menu included Spanakopita with Greek potatoes and Tomato Salad, Sticky and Spicy Baked Cauliflower with rice and roasted green beans, Spaghetti and Beyond Meatballs and Baked Broccoli Cheddar Tortellini Skillet (but I used mini cheese ravioli). 

4. Watching – I watched the first two episodes of Blockbuster (Netflix) but wasn’t a fan. If you’ve watched it and it gets better after the first two episodes, let me know! I also watched Catering Christmas (Hulu). I’m normally not a big Hallmark-esque Christmas movie watcher. I prefer to read Christmas books. But I could use a little feel-good holiday spirit right now and this movie passed the time just fine!

5. School Play – My son is a high school freshman and is currently a stage manager-in-training. Last weekend was our high school’s fall performance, The Laramie Project. Although he had to be there Friday, Saturday and Sunday, my husband and I went on Saturday to see the play. The Laramie Project tells the story of the townspeople of Laramie, Wyoming’s reaction to the 1998 murder of gay, college student Matthew Shepard. The kids did an amazing job of telling this important story. It’s a well-known play was even made into a movie.

6. Election Day – I hope everyone got out and voted on Election Day! I don’t talk politics on the blog, but I think everyone should exercise their right to vote.

7. Memes and Other Online Finds

This one hit particularly hard this week. I’m going through a rough patch with my teen daughter and as much as I’m hoping to “teach the hard lessons” it’s not easy.

And something more humorous! Sadly, I need to get my son a new winter coat, since he’s outgrown last year’s. It’s on my to-do list this weekend and fortunately, it’s not too cold out yet. However, even when I do get him a new winter jacket, he will not be wearing it to school. Neither of my kids do since that’s not a cool teen thing.

Sharing with Friday Favorites! Have a great weekend!

Thank goodness it’s Friday! It’s been a long week and I am very much looking forward to the weekend! My son is a stage manager in training and the fall high school play is this weekend. The weather is supposed to be fairly warm (low 70’s) for November and I’m hoping to get a little outdoor time. Here are five from this week:

1. Baking – After watching episodes of the new season of The Great British Baking Show, I’ve been craving cake. I made a Pumpkin Caramel Cream Cheese Poke Cake. The icing was a bit on the sweet side, but it filled my cake craving and was a seasonal treat.

2. Field Hockey – Saturday my daughter’s field hockey team played in the Section finals. They ended up losing 0-1. It was such a close game. The last time our school district made it to the Championship Finals was in 2009! There are only two seniors on the team so we are hoping they can make it to the finals again next year! 

3. Reading – I finished reading the non-fiction book The Gospel of Wellness by Rina Raphael. This book takes a deep dive into the wellness industry and was an informative read. I also finished The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox. This was my first holiday read of the season and was a good one!

4. Cooking – This week’s menu included Korean Tofu Rice Bowls, Penne with Zucchini, Tomatoes and Boursin Cheese, Baked Cinnamon Crunch French Toast and Hearty Cheddar Garlic Herb Potato Soup.

5. Watching – This week I watched the movie Luckiest Girl Alive (Netflix). I read the book back in 2015 and didn’t remember much of it. But I had given it 3 stars on Goodreads. I found the movie to be just okay.

6. Eating – Sunday we went out to lunch with our daughter to Ramenesque in Peekskill. My husband and her shared a bowl of vegetarian ramen and. Tofu curry. I had this miso salmon. We hadn’t been here in ages.

7. Halloween – This was the first Halloween that I can remember where I was actually home to give candy out to trick-or-treaters. We don’t normally get a lot of trick-or-treaters (I think we got around 10 this year) so I made sure to stock up on candy that we actually enjoy! 

8. Favorite Memes:

This is so true!

Minus the money part, now that she has a job, this is my daughter!

This has me freaking out a little bit!

 ICYMI this week on the blog: 

  Sunday I posted November Events in Westchester County.

Sharing with Friday Favorites!  Have a great weekend!

Happy Friday!  It’s hard to believe that October will soon be over! We’ve been so busy this month has flown by! Here are five from this week:

1. Eating– Saturday my husband and I took a quick trip to Woodbury Commons so I could try to find a new pair of sneakers. We had dinner at Shake Shack and had Shroom Burgers and shared an Apple Doughnut milkshake.

I tried Trader Joe’s Ube ice cream. It was okay but not as good as the Salted Maple ice cream.

If you like olives, these Trader Joes olives are really good and less than $2! 

2. Field Hockey – Monday my daughter’s field hockey team won their Sectional quarterfinals game 5-0 and their semi-finals game yesterday 3-0. They play for the Section Championship tomorrow! 

3. Reading – I haven’t finished any books this week and am halfway through two. I’m reading the non-fiction book The Gospel of Wellness by Rina Raphael. I’ve also started my holiday reads with The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox. 

4. Cooking – This week’s menu included Chik’n Nachos using Sweet Earth Chik’n, Boca Chik’n sandwiches and fries, Honey Garlic Salmon Soba Noodle Bowls (with tofu for my husband and daughter), Healthier Homemade Hamburger Helper and Easy Baked Gnocchi with Tomatoes and Mozzarella.

5. Watching – My husband and I finished The Watcher (Netflix) this week. I was really disappointed after finishing the last episode.

Sharing with Friday Favorites. Hope you have a great weekend!

Hooray for Friday! Things are finally starting to calm down around here! Last Saturday my daughter took the PSATs and my son spent the day at the Thunderbird Games with Boy Scouts. My son’s soccer season is over but he’s been busy with stage crew for the upcoming school play. My daughter’s field hockey team is playing their sectionals game on Monday, so they’ve been practicing in preparation for their big game. This week I also took her to a college fair and my husband went to a financial aid meeting at our high school. This whole college process is starting to get very real! Here are five from this week:

1. Nail Polish – I’m loving this essie bahama mama nail polish. It’s a great fall color. I used the essie good to go top coat. I’m curious to see how long this polish will last before it starts chipping. So far it’s been five days and they are still looking good.

2. Serious Fun Arts Fest- Saturday my husband and I visited the Serious Fun Arts Fest in White Plains. I love seeing street art and The Social Fabric exhibition at the ArtsWestchester gallery is pretty amazing! It’s on display through January 22, 2023, so if you didn’t get to attend the Serious Fun Arts Fest you can still visit the exhibit.

3. Peekskill Brewery Anniversary Block Party – Saturday after the Serious Fun Arts Fest we stopped in Peekskill for the Peekskill Brewery Anniversary Block Party. We got to see the Fat City Rockers sing a couple of songs before we had to leave to pick our son up from his Boy Scout event.

4. Reading – Last night I finished reading The Winners by Fredrik Backman. It’s so good but not a quick read at over 600 pages! I was on a deadline since it was a two week loan and is due back at the library tomorrow. If you’ve never read Backman, I highly recommend reading the first book in the series, Beartown. His writing is filled with all of these nuggets that are so insightful and relatable.

5. Cooking – This week’s menu included Trader Joes’s Vegan Beefless Bulgogi with rice and Trader Joe’s Taiwanese Green Onion Pancakes, Vegan Bombay Potatoes, Sheet Pan Vegan Teriyaki Meatballs with rice and roasted broccoli and Creamy Shrimp Pesto Tortellini (no shrimp for my husband and daughter).

6. Too Good to Go – Sunday I used the Too Good to Go app and tried Terra Dulce Bakery in Peekskill. We got a bunch of different rolls, cookies and a muffin for $4.99! You can read more about the app in this post that I wrote.

7. Watching – My husband and I watched Sheng Wang Sweet and Juicy on Netflix. This was a fun comedy that I heard about from the Forever35 Facebook group.

8. Lunch Date – Sunday my husband and I went out for a quick lunch date. We went to Bangkok Spice, a Thai restaurant near our house. I got a Thai Iced Tea and we shared an order of Summer Rolls, Massaman Curry and Pad See Ew with tofu and vegetables. 

Sharing with Friday Favorites. Have a great weekend!